Chapter 437: Introduction, This is Director Jiang
Chapter 437: Introduction, This is Director Jiang
December 19, 2024
"Director Jiang, welcome to our Alchemy Department. On behalf of all the alchemists, I welcome you to our team."
Inside the Director's office, a man in his early fifties, wearing a pair of rectangular glasses, extended his hand and said solemnly.
"Director Ma, it's an honor for me to join the Alchemy Department as well."
Jiang Cheng immediately responded and shook the man's hand.
Indeed, the man before him was his superior, the sole director of the Alchemy Department.
"Director Ma, please have a seat. I'll brew a cup of tea for you."
"Director Ma, you're too kind."
"It's no trouble. From now on, we're colleagues, and to be honest, the Alchemy Department has always had only one director, and the pressure has been immense. Now that you're here to share the burden, it's truly a relief."
Mr. Ma spoke as he placed a cup of steaming tea in front of Jiang Cheng.
"Director Jiang, this is our local specialty, Calming Tea. After drinking it, it has a refreshing and invigorating effect. Please, do give it a try."
"Thank you, Director."
Jiang Cheng smiled and then asked curiously, "Director, did we not have a deputy director before I arrived?"
"Well, we did have one a few years ago, but he went out to gather herbs and met with an accident."
A hint of gloom passed over Director Ma's face.
"I'm sorry, Director. I was unaware of this incident, or else..."
"It's fine."
Director Ma waved his hand dismissively. "This matter has nothing to do with you, and it happened several years ago. It's all in the past. Logically, when a deputy director position becomes vacant, someone should fill it, but that's not the case here at the academy."
As he spoke, he blew on the tea and took a sip, his face showing a hint of bliss. After setting down the tea, he continued, "Here at the academy, to become a director, one must meet certain requirements. For instance, the deputy director of the Alchemy Department should at least be a ninth-rank alchemist, and the higher the rank, the better. Without meeting this condition, even an eighth-rank alchemist wouldn't be eligible. That's why the deputy director position has remained vacant for so many years without anyone filling it."
"I see."
Jiang Cheng understood.
Combining this with what he had witnessed in the principal's office, it seemed reasonable.
After all, becoming a deputy director came with a generous monthly allowance of 200 contribution points, and the corresponding difficulty in attaining the position was also elevated.
The same principle applied to higher ranks as well.
"Director Jiang, from now on, this will be your designated seat. My desk is right behind you, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Jiang Cheng nodded.
When he entered, he had noticed three desks in the room, presumably for one main director and two deputy directors.
One of them was now assigned to him, but the other remained vacant, and it was uncertain when it would be filled.
"By the way, Director Jiang, the principal probably mentioned that you'll be teaching the academy's students, right?" Director Ma asked tentatively.
"Yes, I agreed with the principal to allocate two afternoons a week to teach the students how to refine medicinal pills. However, Director, I can only refine pills that accelerate spiritual energy recovery, such as Spirit Nourishing Pills, Spirit Soothing Pills, and Mind Awakening Pills. I haven't tried refining other types of pills."
Jiang Cheng spoke honestly.
"It's fine, it's fine."
Director Ma waved his hands repeatedly and smiled, "Being able to refine one or two types of pills is already impressive. And I've heard that Director Jiang has perfected the art of refining these three types of pills, reaching the highest level of mastery. With just five portions of herbs, you can produce an entire furnace of top-grade Mind Awakening Pills."
My words, although I'm a twelfth-rank alchemist, I really don't have much confidence. With just five ingredients, I'm expected to refine an entire furnace of top-grade Awakening Pills."
"Director Ma, you're being modest," Jiang Cheng said with a smile. "I heard from Principal Xu that you can refine fourth-rank Recovery Pills. There's a huge difference between third-rank pills and fourth-rank ones, not to mention that you can refine all pills below the fourth rank. I truly admire your skills."
"Oh, let's not talk about that," Director Ma said, his suppressed smile revealing his genuine joy.
"Director Jiang, every morning, you'll refine two furnaces of top-grade Awakening Pills. This is what all teachers in the Alchemy Department do," Director Ma explained. "Additionally, how about this—every Tuesday and Friday, you can spare half a day to teach students how to refine pills. If I'm unavailable on those days, we can make adjustments."
"No problem, I'll follow your arrangements," Jiang Cheng agreed.
"Haha, good! Then it's settled. Since most students will be learning the basics of Spirit Nourishing Pills, you can identify those with potential and teach them second-rank pill refinement. The academy will also reward you with contribution points for this."
"Understood."
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Aside from this, is there anything else I should pay attention to?"
"Haha, that's all. The mirror over there is for your convenience," Director Ma pointed out.
Seeing the confusion in Jiang Cheng's eyes, he explained, "The mirror is positioned so you can see what's happening in the other room."
"Let me introduce you to the teachers in the Alchemy Department," Director Ma said, leading Jiang Cheng to the adjacent large office. "These are the teachers I mentioned, and they're all in the office next door."
The door to the large office was open, and several teachers were chatting inside. A female student stood with her head lowered, receiving a scolding from one of the teachers.
"How many times have I explained this concept? And you still managed to make the wrong choice? If you don't even understand the basics, how can you expect to refine pills? I suggest you consider whether you truly have the talent for this."
Knock, knock.
Director Ma knocked lightly on the door, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"Hello, Director!" they greeted in unison.
After the greetings, their gazes unanimously turned to Jiang Cheng, the new face among them.
Wondering if Jiang Cheng might be a relative of Director Ma, they thought, Perhaps Director Ma brought him here to ask for special treatment later on? Well, that's not surprising. After all, the Resistance Army is made up of people, and people will have their own considerations.
Even the female student who had been scolded earlier mustered the courage to raise her head and examine Jiang Cheng.
"Teachers, let me introduce you to our new colleague, Director Jiang Cheng. Everyone, please give him a warm welcome!" Director Ma said, and immediately clapped his hands.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
However, no one else in the room joined in the applause. The teachers stared at Jiang Cheng with wide eyes, bewildered.
What? This young man, who looked around the same age as the students, was the new deputy director? And not a relative of Director Ma?
(End of Chapter)
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